This year's Tokyo Game Show is just around the corner. And whereas past installments have disappointed, there is a sense of genuine anticipation that hasn't been felt in quite some time now.

The Japanese video game industry has been in the doldrums as of late, to put it mildly, which may still be in effect for the foreseeable future. Though if there's anything that will help turn things around it's new hardware.

But this year's TGS will also showcase how vastly different the Eastern game scene is from the West, as it always does. Case in point: this year's expo hall will have a section entirely dedicated to dating sims.

Destructoid notes that the spot is officially called the "Romance Simulation Dating Area" and is described as:

"A dedicated area for woman users where you can find Romance Simulation games. Related goods would be available here too. A dedicated area for woman users where you can find Romance Simulation games. Related goods would be available here too."

It's also noted that there are new sections this year dedicated to indie games and the cloud. No word on whether the dating sim section is brand new as well. If it is, that's mighty surprising, given the popularity of the genre.

Now, before people start going "oh Japan!", consider this: the area is dedicated to female gamers, a segment of the game playing audience that E3 or PAX fails to directly address

True, women play more than just dating sims, but at least they're being acknowledged as game players and not just eye candy that adorn titles that are targeted towards dudes.